How to Select a Home Inspector by Laurel Grandle REALTOR

How to Select a Home Inspector by Laurel Grandle, REALTOR

   Some ideas for selecting a home inspector:  Make sure the inspector you use has experience.  Ask how many he/she has done.  If your home is, for example, historic, make sure he is experienced with older homes. 

  Ask the home inspector which professional organization(s) he ascribes to and make sure he is state licensed.  Ask about his continuing education and how he keeps current with changes in our industry.

  ATTEND the home inspection:  some items that look serious on a report may, in fact, be minor or vice versa.  Ask questions as you go  through the inspection...make sure you understand everything the inspector is looking at and ask for his input on best ways to repair any defects.

If the home inspector ALSO repairs homes, I would consider this a conflict of interest.

Ask the inspector how long his inspection will take:  On a home of, say 2400 sq feet, it may take around 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  You want a very thorough inspection.  Ask when you can expect to receive the report.  Most inspectors will have the report e-mailed to you within 24 hours.  Ask that a copy be sent to your REALTOR so that, together, you can discuss the results and which, if any, of the items on the report need to be addressed with the seller.  The contract for purchase of the home should be contingent upon a satisfactory home inspection.  The inspector may discover items the seller was unaware of...do NOT assume the seller knew and did not disclose a certain item...the homeowner may NOT know and the inspection report may very well surprise him.

My recommendation is to always have a home inspection, even with a brand new home.  Would you purchase a new car without test driving it?  ....  I wouldn't purchase a home without an inspection.  Period.

You can expect to pay around $300 - $500 for a inspection.  You may also want the inspector to check for radon levels as well.  I recommend this in our area, as radon levels can be high.  And they may be high in the house next door and fine in your home:  Educate youself a little bit:  look up RADON on line and learn about this odorless gas that many believe can cause cancer.  A RADON test will add about $80-$100 to the cost of the home inspection.

What about LEAD-BASED PAINT INSPECTIONS?  Prior to 1978, our house paints were lead based.  An older home will have lead based paint in the "early" layers.  This usually doesn't provide a problem unless you have children who eat the painted surfaces.  Most people do NOT have lead paint testing performed unless they are opening, for example, a day-care center for young children.  Lead paint is very difficult to remove...that's why we usually just paint over it, but, again, read up on it:  http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5054.html

The purchase of a home is frequently the most important expensive item you'll ever buy:  Protect yourself:  Get a home inspection!  Ask your REALTOR for recommendations, then call the inspectors and talk with them.  Select one you feel is experienced, educated, knowledgable and sincerely interested in doing a thorough job for you, the purchaser.  Beware of any inspector who seems "too aggressive"...who may even brag about the number of transactions that have fallen apart because of his inspections.  You want a candid, honest inspection, but not one done by an inspector with an "ax to grind"...no home is perfect.  If something serious is wrong with the home, you sure want to know...but using an inspector who is unduly critical is NOT in your best interest.  You want knowledge...you don't want to be unduly scared to purchase....and almost anything can be properly repaired/restored.  TALK TO YOUR REALTOR.  She can be an invaluable source of information when reviewing the inspection report.

Laurel Grandle sells homes throughout the East TN Area, including Knoxville, Karns, Farragut, Halls, Powell, Loudon County, Knox County.  She specializes in Lake homes, Luxury homes, Historic homes and is an expert at matching buyers with the right house, regardless of the area or price range, she has over 25 years of experience and has helped thousands of clients with their real estate needs.

 Here is what some of her clients have said about her recently, “Laurel has an unlimited amount of patience.  My family has very specific needs and she understood them and worked with us until we found the perfect home at the right price.  I don’t think anyone else would have done that for us and we’ll always be thankful we found her and worked with her.  She’s wonderful!”  Margo

 “Laurel has accommodated us on many occasions very quickly, as our schedules change all the time.  She was always understanding of the time and date changes and she helped us find a great house.”  Williams

 “Laurel really knows the area and the market.  She didn’t waste any time…she showed us what we ask for in the location we wanted and made the whole move a very good experience for our family”.  Robert

 “Before we wrote an offer, Laurel did a detailed market analysis for us and discussed it with us so we understood what a fair price would be.  She went over the entire contract in detail and clarified everything for us.  We purchased with confidence and we’d never use anyone else IF we ever decide to sell!”  Anne

 Exit Realty Knoxville is your number one resource for all your real estate needs, including listing, sales, referrals; our EXIT agents are committed to serving you—put us to work for you:  865 389 2551   865 690 4300  TOLL FREE:   888 966 4926

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